2 Academic Staff Members (PostDoc) at the Faculty of Arts, Department for English and American Studies

Job Announcement

The University of Potsdam was founded in 1991 and has firmly established itself within the scientific landscape and developed into an outstanding economic factor and growth engine for the region. The university excels in acquiring third-party funds, has received multiple teaching awards, has a very service-oriented administration, and has been honored several times for its family-friendly culture. About 20,000 students and 3,000 employees study and work at three campuses – Am Neuen Palais, Griebnitzsee and Golm – at one of Germanys most scenic institutions of higher education.

The International Research Training Group Cultures of Repair (IRTG 3195) is jointly

funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) and The University of Melbourne, and is

jointly operated by University of Potsdam and The University of Melbourne (https://www. uni-potsdam.de/en/irtg-cultures-of-repair).

The University of Potsdam, Faculty of Arts, Department for English and American Stud-

ies invites applications for the following positions limited to five years to be filled by February 01, 2027:

2 Academic Staff Members

(PostDoc)

Requisition No.: 346/2026

The successful candidates will be 26 hours per week (65 %). The positions are classified within remuneration group 13 of the collective wage agreement among the German federal states (“Tarifvertrag für den öffentlichen Dienst der Länder” – TV-L). The fixed term of employment is in accordance with Section 2 subsection 1 of the German Act on Fixed-Term Employment Contracts in Science and Academia (Wissenschaftszeitvertragsgesetz or WissZeitVG).

The IRTG understands Cultures of Repair as

- practices of care, maintenance, and re/pairing that sustain social, cultural, and ecological life, while critically engaging with modernitys entanglements with violence, exploitation, and environmental degradation;

- not the restoration of an intact past, but a generative, future-oriented practice that creates new relations, imaginaries, and modes of survival;

- an analytical concept, an interdisciplinary method, and a transformative practice.

Research within the IRTG is organised around three interconnected research areas:

- The research area Environments of Repair brings together media studies, science and technology studies, and the environmental humanities to examine repair within the damaged ecologies and social worlds of the Anthropocene. It understands repair as emerging from disruption and irreversible loss while remaining oriented towards more liveable futures

- The research area Reparative Readings draws on debates in literary studies, queer theory, and postcritical approaches, to investigate practices of reading that sustain, nurture, and create spaces for (minoritised) communities

- The research area Repairing Relations is informed by postcolonial theory as well as Indigenous and Afro-diasporic thought. It analyses historically specific practices of communal repair and critically examines their possibilities and limitations in fostering more equitable relations

At least one-third of working hours is available for in-depth individual research and the subsequent publication of an innovative postdoctoral project. The position offers the opportunity to pursue a Habilitation (postdoctoral qualification). The scope and nature of the individual research should be topical, and pertinent to the conceptual, thematic, and methodological development of the IRTG.

The remaining working hours will be dedicated to

- contributing to the conceptualisation and organisation of the IRTGs research and academic programme, including participation in joint publications and editorial work

- teaching one course per semester in the Department of English and American Studies and carrying out administrative tasks within the IRTG.

The teaching load is based on the requirements of the Teaching Obligations Ordinance (LehrVV) of the State of Brandenburg, as amended, and the Regulation for Calculating Teaching Load that was passed by the Senate of the University of Potsdam. This position is assigned to the group of academic employees, with qualification opportunities.

The IRTG welcomes proposals from highly motivated candidates. Successful applicants should demonstrate

- excellent qualifications in a relevant field, such as anglophone literary studies, cultural studies, gender studies, or queer studies, evidenced by a completed Master and PhD;

- a high level of proficiency in English;

- an innovative individual research project that relates to more than one IRTG Research Area;

- a strong commitment to collaborative and interdisciplinary work. Previous experience in international research projects, the conception and organisation of academic events, and academic publishing, including editorial work, is highly welcome; and

- a commitment to the values and principles of the IRTG as outlined in its Mission Statement.

What We Offer

As a university, we combine the strong potential for development of a teaching and research institution with the attractive working conditions of the public sector. The University of Potsdam is a reliable employer that supports its employees with a variety of offers and benefits:

- Make the most of the various continuing education and networking opportunities offered by the University of Potsdam to refine your subject-specific and interdisciplinary competencies for professional as well as personal growth.

- All campuses have good transport connections. You can receive a monthly subsidy for the public transport job ticket and use our campus bicycles.

- Benefit from a company pension scheme, a special annual payment, and capital-forming benefits.

- Take advantage of the various offers from our Occupational Health Management unit as well as the Academic Sports Center.

- To improve employees work-life balance, the University of Potsdam offers family-friendly flexible working hours and a defined share of remote working hours (e.g. work from home).

- You have 30 vacation days per year (with a 5-day week) and are also exempt from work on December 24 and 31.

You can find more information about working at the University of Potsdam at https://www.unipotsdam.de/en/arbeiten-an-der-up/employer-up/overview

Applicants are required to submit the following documents

- a letter of motivation (1-2 pages)

- a current CV

- copies of academic transcripts and degree certificates

- a project proposal outlining the planned postdoctoral research project (maximum 3,500 words, excluding bibliography)